Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-02-25

two words is the Appian Way of death,
and great multitude threng that road.
iostling and elbowing each other, hasten
ing on swifter and swifter to die. For
how much would you walk the edge of the
roof of your house? For how much
would you come out on the most danger
Gus pesk Of the Matterhorn and wave your
cap? You say: ono money could induce
me to do It." And yet you stand to-day,
with one foot on crumbling moment and
the other foot lifted, not knowing where
you will pat it down, while the distance
between you and the bottom of the depth
ben ath you no plummet can measure, no
arithmetic calculate, no Wig of lightning
cleave. And yet, the Bible tells Us that
unless man has & new heart he cannot
get into heaven; and some of you are not
seeking fer thsG new heart. Ia Mexico
sometimes the ground suddenly opens and
q man standing near the gap can see down
ar appalling distance. But, o. if to-day,
1T your feet, there should open the chssms
Of the lost world, how you would fling
yourself back and hold the pew, AMI cry F.:
". cd save mellow! Now, Nowr"
greet you to-day, my brother in the
very gate of eternity. Some of US may
live longer and some of us may live 8
shorter time; but, st the longest, life is
so short that l feel we all stand on the
doorsill OF the great future. The next
step-an the angels of God cannot undo
the consequences. viii your exit from
this life be rising or a failing? The
righteous go up. The SAVIOR helps
them. Minislering spirits meet them.
The doors of Paradise open to receive
them. Up up! up! Oh, what great
thing it is 10 die with s,rorg faith ia
God like that which Stonewall Jackson
had, when in his expiring moments he
said: "Let Us cross over the river and
lie down under the lade." Blu. to leave
this world unpreparedly is falling-fslling
from God, falling from hope, falling from
peace, falling from heaven-sWiftly fall
ing, wildly falling, forever falling So it
was with one who had been eminent for
his intelligence, but who had omitted all
preparation for the future world, aud
had come down to his last hour. He said
to his wife, seated by the bedside: ''Oh,
don't talk to me about pain. 1t Is the mind,
woman, it Is the mind. OF all the years
of my life never lived one minute for
heaven. 1t is awfully dark here" he
whispered, 'it is awfully dark. l seem
to stand on the slippery edge OF q great
gulf. shall fall, l am falling" And
with a shrek, as when i man tumbles
over a precipiCe, he expired. Wise for
this world, aoout all the matters of his
immortal soul he was, his life long, play
ing the fool.
| will take the case of some one in the
building to-day, and ask you what you
think about that case. He has been ali
his lite smid Bibles and churches, SO that
ne knows mis- duty. Christ has offered to
do all for that man 1h4t divine Savior
can offer TO do for dying soul. Heaven
has been offered him, kea, pushed upon
him, and yet he has not accepted
it, and to-day he sits, Gelib-
erately allowing his chances for life
IT, 60 away from him. WHAT DO you say
of that one? "Halluclnated, says ore;
"Monomaniacal, says another; "Play-
lag the fool" says another o, how
many there are taking just that position.
There is such thing rs p?romania, an
insanity which dispoSes One to destroy
buildings by fire, but who would have
thought that there was 3 pyrom2nia of
the immortal nature, and that any one
could be 50 struck through with that in
sanity as TO nave desire and disposition
TO consume the soul?
Awake, man, awake, woman, from the
phantasia, real or affected. Take Christ.
Escape for eternity. Just see what has
neen done for you. Lift the thOrny cap
from the brow OF Jesus, and see the price
that was paid for your liberation. Look
at the side, and see where the spear went
in and moved round and round, amid bro
ken arteries, the blood rushing forth in
awful sacrifice for your sins. o, wrap
those bare and mutilated feet of the dying
Lord in your womanly lap, for they were
torn in hard tramp for your soul. o, for
tears to weep over this laceration of
Christ! o, fora broken heart to worship
Him. o, for an omnipotent impulse !
strong enough to throw this whole au-
dience down at the feet of crucifed and |
risen Jesus! We must repent. We
must believe. We must be saved. |
cannot consent TO have you lose your |
souls. Come with me, and as in the !
summer time We go down to the beach !
and battle in the wsters, so to day let Us |
join hands and wade down into the sum-
merry sea of Gods forgiveness. Roll |
over us, tides of everlasting love, roll |
over u.s. Dear Lord, We knock at the
door of mercy, not as the demented /!
knock, not knowing what they want, but |
knocking at the door of mercy, because .
we want to come in, while others run !
their meaningless hands up and down
the panels, and scrabble at the gate, in
the presence OF God, and men, and an
gels, and devils, playing the fool.